The Avengers (s4 e21, "A Touch of Brimstone") / Diana Rigg as Mrs. Emma Peel as the "Queen of Sin"
Fittingly for Leap Day, this costume is the odd one out in this month's group: it's the only one from the 1960s and also the only one from television rather than a movie. The costume, supposedly designed by Diana Rigg herself, was considered a bit too spicy for American TV--well, that plus the situation she finds herself in, which is infiltrating a club of thinly disguised S&M enthusiasts.
Here’s my rendition of Emma Peel, colour variation on a B/W.
(I’m not thrilled with it, but to be fair, I’m a person who likes details and it’s really hard to find clear, detailed portraits of anyone from the 1960s, as technologically it just wasn’t as possible as it is now.)
Remember.
Always keep your bowler on in times of stress and watch out for diabolical masterminds.
...Which gets me thinking, if these two WEREN'T in love and sleeping together does that make them the two dumbest assholes in the history of dumbfucks??? Enquiring minds want to know!
Y’know, if you prefer to focus on things other than the romance/sex aspects in The Avengers, I think that’s legit. If you try to claim that focusing on the romance/sex aspects in The Avengers is wrong/gross/desperate/ruins the show/heteronormative/allonormative/etc., I think that’s a really mean, childish way of engaging with this show.
The Avengers ("Castle De'Ath") / Diana Rigg as Mrs. Emma Peel
I know--"Avengers again?" But they have so many wonderful non-dresses!
For a trip to Scotland, Emma wears this sleeveless tartan ensemble with a military style cardigan. Notice the epaulets and the frogging design at the cuffs. I like how the design on the pants is straight and the top is on the bias--it adds some visual variety that keeps the whole thing from being overwhelming.
okay so I am ~2 episodes into The Avengers on britbox (which doesn't start at the beginning - is this a copyright thing or an Oh Yeah We Burned Some Of It thing?) and I know 60s telly well enough that I know there is a zero percent chance that Steed and Peel are ever going to do anything with all that sexual tension but this will not stop me hoping they will anyway.
he keeps calling her Mrs Peel, reminding me that as a 60s TV Widow she is a single (ie available) woman who can be assumed to have had sex at some point (but not in a SHOCKING!! way) and she's probably angsty about her dead husband but she also craves the touch of a man now and... anyway like I said am aware that there is NO WAY they're going to get it on but damn.
So for Esses and Gees I googled "Knight Industries" and it's a thing that actually exists. Hopefully one of the kids took over the company when Emma was ready to relinquish the reigns, as opposed to following in their fathers agent footsteps. 🙄 That's my (or a) story and I'm sticking to it.